AUGUSTA, Georgia, (Reuters) – Tiger Woods said on  Monday he had received treatments for injuries from a Canadian  doctor under investigation for smuggling performance-enhancing  drugs but insisted he had never taken illegal drugs.

Woods, facing a packed news conference before he tees off in  the Masters on Thursday, said U.S. investigators had contacted  his IMG agent, Mark Steinberg, about his connection with Dr Tony  Galea and that he would cooperate with them.

Galea, who treats athletes with a plasma therapy called  “blood-spinning” to aid the healing process, faces drug-related  charges in Canada and a U.S. grand jury probe into smuggling  drugs, including human growth hormone.

“He did come to my house,” Woods addedd about Galea. “He  never gave me HGH or any PEDs. I’ve never taken that my entire  life. I’ve never taken any illegal drug, ever, for that matter.”

Woods said officials had not yet asked to interview him.
The legal, blood-spinning technique involves drawing blood,  spinning it in a centrifuge and returning it into a patient.

Woods said he used the technique to overcome knee and  Achilles’ injuries and get back on the golf course in 2008 and  in 2009.

“I had PRP, platelet enriched plasma treatments,” said world  number one Woods, who has been absent from golf since last  November after a series of revelations about his string of  extra-marital affairs.

Woods said he played last year taped up for support and also  went to hyperbaric chambers after his PRP injections to further  speed his healing process.

Federal agents have interviewed several other prominent  athletes treated by Galea, including New York Mets players  Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes and have expressed interest in  talking to New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez.

“He’s worked with so many athletes,” explained Woods.  “There’s a certain comfort level to that when a person has  worked with athletes.”